The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine recently added new residencies in reproductive medicine for companion animals with the support of the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Theriogenology Foundation. The residencies will provide specialty training in all aspects of reproductive medicine and surgery, as well as all features of clinical practice related to male and female reproduction, obstetrics and neonatology in companion animals.

Theriogenology is often seen as an ancillary service in veterinary medicine, and few clinics offer the services of a reproductive specialist, which is why the AKC decided to invest in training more veterinarians in this field.

Royal Canin is THE SCIENTIFIC REFERENCE in the field of canine reproduction

Infectious Canine Reproductive Diseases

By Rick Kesler, DVM

With the information available for breeders today, successful breeding is very common. That’s the
good news. The bad news is that when an infectious disease occurs and interferes with a successful
breeding, it can often be devastating to the breeder and breeding dogs alike. Infectious diseases can
cause abortions, early resorptions of embryos, fetal mummifications, low litter sizes or puppies that
are born normal and die later. Infectious diseases may mimic hormonal diseases so it is imperative
that when problems occur an early physical exam be done with proper testing to determine the cause.

Winifred Stout of Foster, Rhode Island was presented with the 2013 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for her Quissex Smooth Fox Terriers at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Sunday, December 15, 2013. The annual award recognizes the hard work and commitment of breeders dedicated to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs.

Here, in her own words, she shares stories from her more than 50 years in dogs.

Deciding what will become of
your dogs should you be incapacitated
or die is a difficult
decision. The more dogs you have,
the more troubling it is. A loved one
may be willing to take one or a few
dogs, but 10? Twenty? Breeders with a
full kennel have a greater burden than
the average pet owner when it comes
to planning their dogs’ future. There
are two primary legal mechanisms to
provide for your dogs: non-trust
arrangements and trusts.

In conjunction with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, AKC hosted the first AKC Breeder to Breeder Symposium on Friday, December 13th.

The free Symposium brought together a group of breeders, exhibitors and judges for two sessions of sharing ideas and furthering our shared goal of breeding happy and healthy canine companions. Attendees were able to learn from five highly-respected breeders in our sport.

In January, the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) and its corporate alliance, Zoetis, a global animal health company, announced the launch of a podcast series devoted to canine reproduction education for pet owners, breeders, and veterinarians.

Throughout 2014, podcasts will be released on topics such as pregnancy diagnosis, pyometra, infertility, breeding method choices, semen storage, and more. Podcasts are free to download, will average 15 minutes in length, and can be accessed through the CHF website.

The first podcast in the series features Dr. Matthew Krecic, a diagnostics specialist for Zoetis, and focuses on Brucellosis, an important topic for all breeders. Dr. Krecic completed his DVM at the Ohio State University and an MBA from the University of Florida, Warrington College of Business. He is board-certified in small animal internal medicine through the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Krecic served as a senior Telemedicine Veterinarian at IDEXX Laboratories before joining Zoetis in 2009, and he continues to practice small animal internal medicine in his spare time.

Sign up to receive CHF podcasts delivered via email by visiting the website.

AKC Breeder articles are selected for their general interest and entertainment values. Authors' views do not necessarily represent the policies of The American Kennel Club, nor does their publication constitute an endorsement by the AKC.

So You Want to Breed Your Bitch
There is nothing more adorable than a puppy, and breeding a beautiful litter of pups is definitely rewarding. However, experienced breeders have learned over time that breeding can have unexpected challenges. When the owner of a bitch is interested in breeding her for the first time, he or she must plan ahead and learn about the breed and all that is involved in breeding before making the final decision to produce a litter.

Questions to Ask
A lot has been written lately about what potential puppy-buyers should expect from a breeder, and what questions they should ask before they buy. This is certainly a good thing, and informed buyers are more likely to be happier dog owners. However, there are also things that a breeder should expect from potential owners, and questions that they should ask, too.